Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-09
Il MInpee q Ristery.

II the British Tories were not besotted in
their selfsuficiency they might, BY taking
. vsryAhort giimpseinto recsst American
history, learn . lesson that would save
them tho final ignominy their present
policy is sure to entail upon the party and
the country. It 1869 the Republicans. in
the might Of an irresistible majority, began
the system of coercion which they called
reconstruction. After ten years OF tyran-
nous misrule, public plundering and social
anarchy, the South was restored to it's
loyalty and normal repose by the concilia-
tory craftsmanship of the Democratic
party.
But the Tories learn nothing and forget
everything. They follow in the footsteps
Of their fathers, and frame repressive legis.
lation because they have not the capacity
Of originating or the lexibility Of adopting
such measures as would make the Irish
counties a real constituent part of the
British empire. Gladstone four years ago
tried coercion in Difference to the prejudice
of the Wing branch of the Liberal
party. He soon saw it's utter failure, not,
it may be supposed. without secret
satisfaction. Having emphasized the com
pleteness Of it's i~neficacy by the most rigor-
ous application Of it's provisions, like a
statesman he turned squarely about and
began the advocacy of an equal ~self-govern-
ment Tor the Irish people. 1t is easy to un-
derstand the sense of triumph that fills the
Liberal leader and his co-workers, now
that the nondescript party in power have
laid before Parliament the extraordinary
measure dealing with Ireland. It is barely
pass the House, but it's operation will re.
suit exactly as the previous easur re-
suited under Forster, and as all repressive
measures of the sort have operated in mod
ern societies.
It may be, as Balfour argues, that Irish
juries refuse to convict men inculpated by
partisan landlords and truculent agents.
It may be that existing laws cannot be
made to work in Ireland, but the men in
power display amazing ignorance OF the
character when they count upon sub
to this Austrian decree. It may
DhO IOI UcOpIC W VcIIOTlZS tuc dkeuO6
Of law; it may be bad that the law itself is
but what shall be aaid of a system
IF government which in the Nineteenth Gen.
Jury counts upon proclaiming 5000, 900
If people and restraining them by penalties
rore odious than Jeffreys applied during
The bloody circuit?
Laws made by a people for a people, and
by their own agents, are binding.
Laws made by heated partisans, cruel
heartless hucksters in a peoples
thrift, have no binding form, aud should
,e resisted as the Irish will resist them
~ passive, implacable hostility. and per-
if the worst comes to the worst, such
as a cruelty tried race have never
allied to make good. Prophecy in such q
condition of things as exists in Great Bri-
ain is idle, but it seems clear that the
people are beginning to see that the
rule they rejected a year ago is the
MY means of re-establishing the tranquil
Ity OF the empire. Until they do see this,
peculation upon the fate of parties is
taste OF time. When Gladstone comes
nto Office at the head of a majority. Ire
troubles will be at an end, and not